Annie Mae Stevenson

Annie Mae Childress Stevenson, affectionately known by her grandchildren as “Mema” and Miss Annie Mae, by friends and neighbors in the community was a longtime resident of Washington, DC. She departed this life peacefully at home on September 8, 2019.

Annie Mae was born in Craigsville, Virginia – a small town in Augusta County, she was the daughter of Berkley Childress and Dorothy Jordan Childress who she lost at the young age of three. She was also preceded in death by her sister Shirley Childress who died of Scarlet Fever. Annie was raised by aunts and uncles and eventually moved to Staunton, Virginia. While in Staunton she attended high school where she enjoyed singing, reading Shakespeare, reciting poems and literature.

After graduating from high school, in 1955, Annie moved to Washington, DC with her aunt Sylvia B. Jefferson to attend the Cortez Peters Business School. While attending Cortez Peters, Annie met Eugene T. Stevenson. Eugene and Annie were joined in holy matrimony on January 25, 1957. They immediately began to raise a family and became proud parents of four children. Annie was a loving homemaker and stayed home to raise her children until all completed elementary school. She entered the workforce as a volunteer using her administrative skills she learned at Cortez Peters, serving as an office assistant at Whittier Elementary School. As a result of her nurturing nature and love of children, she sought ways to enhance her knowledge of early childhood education and took several courses to become certified to work with young children. In the late 1970s, she left Whittier for a lead teaching position at Albright Memorial United Methodist Church Day Care Center. There she enriched the lives of many children, eventually becoming the director of the day care center.

Annie was known for her love of baking and good home cooked food. Whenever someone came to the house, she always had something on the stove "just in case" they were hungry. Even in her later years you would always find some kind of baked good gracing her kitchen table and her famous wicker basket. Family, friends and children of the neighborhood would often call the house if they had a sweet tooth to see if “Miss Annie Mae” had baked anything sweet and would stop by just to get a slice. Annie liked to be social up to a point, after everyone ate she was ready for peace and quiet and her favorite games and word puzzles.

Annie is survived by her children, Vernice “Nicie”Taylor (Tyrone), Eugenia”Gina” McRae (Daniel), Roxanne “Roxy” Clorey (Rodney), and Eugene T. “Tom” Stevenson Jr. (Jennifer). She leaves eight grandchildren, Clayton, Marques, Briana, Jordan, Alexis, Gregory, TeQuilla, Vania, one great grandchild Cameron and many cousins, nieces and nephews. Mom, we love you and will miss you greatly. You did just what you said, “you got off your back.”